Some ongoing rattling around my head from Sunday’s texts from Matthew 5.
When we talk about our motivation for love we reveal a bit of our own transformation, or lack thereof. We Christians often talk of the command to love our neighbor. I wonder what it means that we continue to repeat that as command long after we have declared that we have been gripped by the love of God? Put another way, if the Story of Jesus is transformational, then why must we talk of love as command rather than response? When we tell another that we must love then what does it mean about our volition or want to love?
This from yesterday’s Daily Dig kept me thinking on these things.
Daily Dig for February 24
Jim Wallis
As long as we do not pray for our enemies, we continue to see only our own point of view – our own righteousness – and to ignore their perspective. Prayer breaks down the distinctions between us and them. To do violence to others, you must make them enemies. Prayer, on the other hand, makes enemies into friends.
When we have brought our enemies into our hearts in prayer, it becomes difficult to maintain the hostility necessary for violence. In bringing them close to us, prayer even serves to protect our enemies. Thus prayer undermines the propaganda and policies designed to make us hate and fear our enemies. By softening our hearts towards our adversaries, prayer can even become treasonous. Fervent prayer for our enemies is a great obstacle to war and the feelings that lead to war.
Source: Seeking Peace